Method and apparatus for filling roll edges



D. IVIICON.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FILLING ROLL EDGES.

APPLICATION FILED IYIAR. I5, 1920.

Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

Patented sept. ia, i922.

UNITED STATES DAVE) MICON, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN.

METHOD AND APPARATUS Application iled March 15,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID MrcoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Benton Harbor, Nin the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods and Apparatus for Filling Roll Edges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists of a certain novel method of filling the roll edges of mattresses and the like, and also of the means employed for practicing the method.

The invention is particularly7 useful in filling the roll edges of mattresses as disclosed in my Patent No. 1,211,475 patented January 9th, 1917.

Heretofore machines have been provided for picking filling material and blowing the picked material into a tick to fill the same and produce a mattress; but these machines, so far as I am aware, are not adapted to lill the roll edges of a mattress, which presents some difficulties because of the length and narrowness of the roll edge. I have invented a method for filling mattress roll edges and a simple means which may be operated separately or as a part of a combination picker and filler machine for quickly and efficiently lling the roll edges of mattresses or similar collapsible tubes of considerable length and relatively small diameter.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a selected embodiment in a simple form of suitable means for practicing my improved method, and referring theretoig. l is a plan view of an apparatus embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale showing a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 oit-Fig. l.

Fig. l is a transverse sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

I have illustrated the invention and will now describe the same as employed in filling roll edges 5 of a mattress 6 as set forth in my patent above referred to.

I provide a tube which is adapted to be inserted in a roll edge 5 and to receive andy deposit the material1 in the roll edge, first at the far end, the tube being gradually withdrawn from the roll edge to permit the material to gradually fill the edge to its FOR FILLING ROLL EDGES.

1920. Serial No. 366,106.

other end. In the practical adaptation of the invention I employ a tube or conduit preferably telescopic and composed of two sections, a receiving section 7 and a discharge section 8. The receiving section 7 is preferably provided with a flared end 9 to receive the filling material and, as it is contemplated that the invention may be employed in connection with the picker and filler machine, the flared end may be shaped to fit the discharge spout 10 of such machine as shown in Fig. l. The discharge section 8 -is preferably of a diameter to make a fair but not necessarily a tight,

fit in the roll edge, and it is of a length which will be sufficient to lill the side as well as the end roll edges of a mattress. A handle or grip 11, of any suitable character, may be provided on the discharge section, preferably at or adjacent its inner end, as shown, to facilitate the telescoping movement of the discharge section on the receiving section 7.

Picker and filler machines operate under relatively low pressure, and satisfactorily blow the fibrous filling material into mattress ticks, but I have found that the pressure is not sufficient to properly force the filling material into the long, collapsible tubes of edge rolls, which are of small cross sectional area and cubical contents as compared with the cross sectional area and cubical contents of a mattress tick, which latter can be readily filled merely by introducing the discharge spout 10 of a picker and filler machine into one side of the tick, which latter will first become inflated by the air pressure and subsequently the filling material will be blown into the inflated tick, the air escaping through the textile material of which the tick is made. In attempting to fill the collapsible tube of an edge roll directly from a picker and filler machine I have found that the pressure thereof is not sufficient to feed the filler material to the far end of the tube, and I have also found that on increasing the pressure the effect is to quickly choke the discharge spout of the machine before any amount of filler material can be introduced into the tube of the roll edge. This is explained by reason of the fact that the 4filler material4 for mattresses is cotton or other fibrous material which quickly packs into a dense mass when being forced through a passage of relatively small area, such as the discharge spout of a picker and filler ma'- 4chine, by a powerfulblast of air applied to the material in rear thereof. My lnvention overcomes this difliculty and provides for conveniently and eectually drawing or sucking the filling material from a point of supply and nally forcing the material into the tube of the roll edge in' a very simple and satisfactory manner.

In carrying out my invention I provide an air pipe 12 which enters the tube or conduit intermediate its ends, and in the present embodiment has been shown as entering one side of the tube section 7 through the interior of which it extends for a suitable distance and yhas its discharge end 13 deflected to a position substantially concentric of the tube or conduit with its discharge extremity drawn to or provided with a restricted discharge orifice. Fluid pressure, preferably air, is supplied to the pipe 12 by any suitable means, and in the drawing I have shown this pipe connected to a storage tank 14 which is supplied with pressure from a compressor 15 or from some otherv source. In the practice of my invention I have obtained satisfactory results by maintaining, in the reservoir or pressure tank. 14 a pressure of from one hundred to one hundred and ten pounds .per square inch. A suitable valve 16 is provided in the pipe 12 for the purpose of controlling the pressure admitted from the air pipe 12 into the filler pipe 7. j

In the practice of my invention as thus far described, the filler material, usually cotton or other fibrous material, is fed or supplied to the rear end of the tube 7 where it becomes subject to the suction action produced by the injector which is made up of the conductor ltube' 7 and the nozzle 13, whereby the fibrousmaterial will be drawn out as it is conducted along the conductor tube, as distinguished from being forced together and compacted as results from applying the air pressure in rear of the filler material. The conductor tube having been thrust endwis'e into one end of the tube of the roll edge and moved to bring its discharge end adjacent the remote end of the roll edge, the filler material is discharged into the roll edge at the far end thereof, and by gradually withdrawing the conductor tube, the tube of the roll edge will be progressively filled from its far end to its near end in a very simple and efficient manner. It will here be explained that as the fibrous material has been drawn out instead of, comed sufiiciently to choke the discharge end portion of the conductor tube, and therefore the filler material will be introduced into the tube of the roll edge in the most satisfactory manner, the air entering the roll edge escaping through the textile material thereof. By proceeding in the manner described, the tube of a roll edge may be uniformly filled from end to end and a superior roll edge produced quickly, simply and without necessitating the employment of 'skilled labor.

If the invention is used in connection with a large picker and filler machine it may be difficult to handle the quantity of cotton discharged thereby in a convenient and satisfactory manner, and I have found it advisable under such conditions, and for general use if so desired, to separate my invention from the picker and filler machine and allow the .cotton to be picked up by suction produced by the injector effect of the air dis' veyor 16 and a tube 17 is connected to the.

rear end of the tube section 7 and hangs with its other end in juxtaposition to the conveyor. rIhe cotton may be put on the conveyor by hand and the invention used entirely independent from the picker machine if desired, but for ordinary purposes I consider it desirable to discharge the cotton from the picker and filler machine directly on the conveyor and to arrange the tube 17 in such relation to the conveyor that the cotton will be picked up therefrom under the suction created in the tube 7 8, by the air pressure introduced through the pipe 12.

It will be observed that so far as my invention is concerned it will operate just as well in the form illustrated in Fig. 2 in which the suction created by the air pressure is utilized for picking up the cotton to fill the roll, as in the construction illustrated in Fig. 1, in which the cotton is discharged directly from ine pickerand filler machine into the filling tube; but, as before stated, if the picker and filler machine is of a size which will discharge more material into the roll than can be satisfactorily handled I may employ the embodiment of Fig. 2.

'Ihe filling operation will, of course, com' prefer to employ a telescopic carrier tube so that the section connected with the air tube 12 and sometimes with the picker and filler machine will not be affected by the movement of the section which is inserted infthe mattress. Of course, it will be apparent that instead of withdrawing the filling tube from the roll edge, the roll edge may be pulled .off of the tube and this 1s within the purview of my invention. The invention provides a method and means of simple character for quickly and compactly filling roll edges of mattresses and of any other articles which are provided with roll edges and which may be filled in a similar manner.

With my invention the operation of 1illin a roll edge is performed quickly and e ciently; the material is evenly distributed and compacted in the roll edge so that uniformity in work can constantly be maintained.

I am aware that changes in the construction of my apparatus may be made to carry out my improved method without departing from the invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. The method of lilling tubes of textile material which consists in inserting a filling tube into one end of the tube to be filled and moving the filling tube to substantially the opposite end of the tube to be filled, supplying a pressure Huid to an intermediate portion of the filling tube and in the form of a mail jet directed towards the open discharge end' of said filling tube, thereby 'produciw a suction through the inlet portion of te filling tube, supplying a filling' material to the filling tube in rear of the said jet, and gradually withdrawing the lling tube from the tube to be filled, whereby the ller material will be'rst drawn into the lling tube and then forced into the tube i to be filled.

2. rl'he method of lling mattress roll edges and similar collapsible tubes, which consists in insert' :ri a non-collapsible fillin tube into ene i ot a tube to be filled an moving the filling tube substantially to the opposlte end ot the tube to be lled, supplying a pressure Huid to an intermediate portion of the filling tube and in the form of a small jet directed towards the open discharge end of the lling tube and thereby producing a suction through the inlet portion of the filling tube, supplying a filler material to the inlet portion of the ller tube and in rear of the jet of pressure luid, whereby the ller material will be first drawn into the filling tube and then forced into the tube to be filled, and gradually withdrawing the llin tube romthe tube to be filled.

3. he method of lling tubes of textile material which consists in assembling ing tube within the tube to be filled with the lling tube projecting through one end of the textile tube and its dischar e end adjacent the opposite end of the textile tube, supplying a pressure fluid to an intermediate pora filltion of the filling tube and in the form of a small jet directed towards the open discharge end of the filling tube; thereby producin a suction through the inlet portion of the fi ling tube, supplying filling material to the filling tube in rear of the said jet, and

effecting relative movement between the filling tube and the tube to be filled to gradually withdraw one tube from the other tube, whereby the filler material will be first drawn into the filling tube and then forced into the tube to be filled.

4. An apparatus for filling tubes of textile material, comprising a filling tube having an open inlet end and an open discharge end, a source of fluid pressure, and a tube leading from the source of fluid pressure into the filling tube and terminating in a discharge nozzle disposed substantially concentrically within the filling tube between the inlet and the discharge thereof and directed towards the open discharge end of the filling tube.

` 5. An apparatus for filling tubes of textile material, comprising a filling tube made up of telescopic sections and having an open inlet and an open discharge, a source of fluid pressure, anda tube leadin from the Source of fluid pressure to the lling tube and terminating in a discharge nozzle disposed substantially concentric within the filling tube between the inlet and the discharge and directed towards the discharge end 'of the filling tube. I A

6. An apparatus for filling tubes of textile material, comprising a filling tube having an inlet and a discharge, a source of fluid pressure, a supply tube leading 'from the source of Huid pressure to the lilling tube and terminating in a vdischarge nozzle located substantially concentrically within the filling tube between the inlet and the discharge and directed towards the open discharge end of the filling tube, and conveyer means for conveying ller material into the zone of the suctlon inuence of the inlet of the filling tube.

i'. An apparatus for filling tubes of textile material, comprising a filling tube having an inlet and a discharge, a source of Huid pressure, a tube leading from the source of fluid pressure to the filling tube and terminating in a discharge nozzle located at substantially the longitudinal axis of the filling tube between the inlet and the discharge and discharging towards the open discharge end of the filling tube, the inlet of the filling tube having a depending branch open at its lower end, and a conveyer traveling across the open outer end of the branch to bring filler material into the zone of the suction influence thereof.

DAVID MICUN. 

